Three years ago, a colt by the emerging Not This Time campaigned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and trained by Steve Asmussen named Epicenter controlled the pace in the GII Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes and reported home an easy winner, returning $9 to his backers.
On Saturday, a colt by the now-boom Taylor Made stallion followed in Epicenter's hoofprints for the same connections, as Magnitude (Not This Time) was sent hard to the lead by Ben Curtis from the outside gate in a field of 12 and left them all in his wake in the stretch, earning 50 points on the Road to the GI Kentucky Derby while returning $88.40.
“He needed to make the decision to get over,” Asmussen said. “He took the initiative and was very positive with what he wanted to do and the horse responded for him. I think the foundation (of the Road to the Derby at Fair Grounds), the races, being here staying in the system and what you can develop–it's why we're here. The horse has not missed a single day, a single oat. Scott (Blasi, assistant trainer) has done a tremendous job with him. We always thought he was capable of more. We put him where he needed to be, played the bias of the racetrack and he took advantage of it.”
Ridden positively by Curtis, the $450,000 Keeneland September yearling crossed and cleared into the first turn and took them along at a very good gallop while chased by the comebacking 'TDN Rising Star' East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro), the 4-5 chalk.
Past the half-mile in a demanding :46.92, Magnitude raced on a long rein into the turn, still traveling strongly. East Avenue had run his race by the time they reached the five-sixteenths marker, and it was Gun Runner Stakes winner and GIII Lecomte Stakes runner-up Built (Hard Spun) who loomed a fleeting threat at the head of the lane.
But Magnitude kept finding on the engine and had a 9 3/4-length margin on fellow 43-1 longshot Chunk of Gold (Preservationist) at the wire. The $1 exacta returned $1,314.70.
East Avenue reported home a disappointing 10th.
“I felt like a winner every step until we got to the far turn, he switched leads and just kind of emptied out on me,” jockey Tyler Gaffalione said of East Avenue. “I don't have an answer for it. Hopefully, he comes back good and we'll see what happens.”
Magnitude followed an optional claiming win at Churchill Downs Nov. 17 with a distant runner-up finish in the Gun Runner and a sixth-place finish in the Lecomte.
“It was fantastic,” Curtis said. “It is a pleasure to ride horses like that. The instructions were limited but they were let the horse do what he does and try to get forward. I had all the confidence going out there in the world. He pulled away very well in the stretch and he hit the line strong. Couldn't be happier with the horse, couldn't be happier with the trip.”
Pedigree Notes:
Magnitude becomes the 22nd graded stakes winner–and second of the day–for leading sire Not This Time. Rockadelic, a maiden of one career start, had a colt by McKinzie in 2023 and a colt by Bolt d'Oro in 2024. She was bred back to Jack Christopher. Rockadelic, a daughter of MGISW Octave (Unbridled's Song), brought $110,000 from Freddie Bloodstock in foal to McKinzie at the 2022 KEENOV sale.
🌹 #13 MAGNITUDE ($88.40) pulls a shocking upset in the $500,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2) at @fairgroundsnola. The three-year-old Not This Time (@TMStallions) colt earns 50 Kentucky Derby points for trainer Steve Asmussen and owners Winchell Thoroughbreds. @_benacurtis was aboard. pic.twitter.com/Ibs0FjTg9a
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) February 16, 2025
Saturday, Fair Grounds
FASIG-TIPTON RISEN STAR S.-GII, $500,000, Fair Grounds, 2-15, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:48.85, ft.
1–MAGNITUDE, 122, c, 3, by Not This Time
1st Dam: Rockadelic, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Octave, by Unbridled's Song
3rd Dam: Belle Nuit, by Dr. Carter
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($310,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV; $450,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Ron Stolich (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Ben Curtis. $300,000. Lifetime Record: 7-3-1-0, $446,165. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Chunk of Gold, 122, c, 3, Preservationist–Play for Gold, by Cairo Prince. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($2,500 Ylg '23 FTKOCT). O-Terry L. Stephens; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Ethan W. West. $100,000.
3–Built, 122, c, 3, Hard Spun–Sea Garden, by Curlin. ($82,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $260,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-Robert & Lawana Low (KY); T-Wayne M. Catalano. $50,000.
Margins: 9 3/4, HD, 2 3/4. Odds: 43.20, 43.30, 3.10.
Also Ran: Vassimo, American Promise, Septarian, Jolly Samurai, Render Judgment, Vamos Carlitos, East Avenue-(DH), Seattle Road-(DH), Giocoso. Scratched: Jonathan's Way.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.
VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
